U.S. Collegiate National Team-China Tour Roster Named

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (March 21, 2018) – USA Volleyball is proud to announce its 12-player U.S. Women’s Collegiate National Team China Tour (CNT-China) roster comprised of current collegiate players who will train and compete in China from May 20-31.

Middles selected to the elite CNT-China squad are Rachael Kramer (University of Florida, Phoenix, Arizona), Dana Rettke (University of Wisconsin, Riverside, Illinois) and Jenna Rosenthal (Marquette University, Fond du Lac, Wisconsin). The outside hitters named to the roster are T’ara Ceasar (University of Georgia, Panama City, Florida), Thayer Hall (University of Florida, Moore, South Carolina), Taryn Kloth (Creighton University, Sioux Falls, S.D.) and Carlyle Nusbaum (Lipscomb University, Overland Park, Kansas).

The two opposites selected to the CNT-China Tour are Rebecca Latham and Stephanie Samedy (University of Minnesota, Clermont, Florida) The setters are Madison Lilley (University of Kentucky, Overland Park, Kansas) and Julia Patterson (University of Arizona, Los Alamitos, California). The libero will be Molly Sauer (University of Louisville, Louisville, Kentucky).

Chris Tamas, head coach of the University of Illinois women’s volleyball team, will serve as the CNT-China head coach.

“I appreciate the opportunity to coach with USA after both my wife (Jen (Joines) Tamas) and I wore the jersey for 14 years,” Tamas said. “As part of our USA Volleyball High Performance pipeline, I believe our university system helps develop some of the top players in the world. It will also help introduce and adjust our players to international rules and competition environment for their post-collegiate careers, which may be with our U.S. Women’s National Team. We look forward to compete in China at the end of May with a top level U.S. Collegiate National Team.”

Joe Trinsey and Natalie Morgan will serve as assistant coaches. Trinsey was technical coordinator for the U.S. Women’s National Team that won bronze at the 2016 Olympic Games, and Morgan is an assistant coach at Loyola Marymount University. Jessica Rae Aschenbrenner, the director of volleyball operations at University of Denver, will serve as the CNT-China Tour technical coordinator. Erin Leaser with Bring It Promotions will serve as head of delegation.

A quarter of the CNT-China roster was part of the U.S. Collegiate National Team program last year. Nusbaum and Rosenthal were part of the 2017 CNT-Thailand Tour roster. Further, Kloth was a member of the 2017 CNT-Minneapolis roster. Rosenthal has made her third CNT team as she was part of the 2016 CNT-China Tour roster.

The CNT-China roster boasts several athletes who have already worn the red, white and blue Team USA jersey in international competitions. Hall, Kramer and Sauer all have played at the FIVB Women’s U20 World Championships, while Lilley was a U.S. Women’s Junior National Team member who participated in the 2017 Women’s U20 Pan Am Cup along with Hall. Samedy represented the U.S. at the 2016 NORCECA Women’s U20 Continental Championship.

Athletes were selected through the U.S. Women’s National Team Open Tryouts held March 2-4 at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colorado.

USA Volleyball will announce in the coming weeks rosters for the CNT-Europe and CNT-Detroit teams.

Notes:

The CNT-China roster includes two players from the same hometown – Madison Lilley and Carlyle Nusbaum are from Overland, Park, Kansas, but played for two different club teams.
Thayer Hall and Rachael Kramer play for University of Florida.
Thayer Hall has yet to play a collegiate match as she enrolled early at University of Florida after earning the Gatorade National High School Volleyball Player of the Year honor.
The 12-player team averages 6-3 in height, including a pair of 6-8 middles in Rachael Kramer and Dana Rettke. Five players are at least 6-4 in height.

Name (Position, School, Height, College Eligibility Remaining, Hometown, Youth Club)
T’ara Ceasar (OH, University of Georgia, 6-1, 3, Panama City, Florida, Prostyle Tallahassee Volleyball Club/Team Florida)
Thayer Hall (OH, University of Florida, 6-3, 4, Moore, South Carolina, Upward Stars)
Taryn Kloth (OH, Creighton University, 6-4, 1, Sioux Falls, South Dakota, Kairos Elite)
Rachael Kramer (M, University of Florida, 6-8, 2, Phoenix, Arizona, Aspire Volleyball Club)
Rebecca Latham (OPP, University of Denver, 6-4, 1, Austin, Texas, Austin Juniors)
Madison Lilley (S, University of Kentucky, 5-11, 3, Overland Park, Kansas, KC Power)
Carlyle Nusbaum (OH, Lipscomb University, 5-10, 1, Overland Park, Kansas, ASICS MAVS)
Julia Patterson (S, University of Arizona, 5-11, 2, Los Alamitos, California, Seal Beach Volleyball Club)
Dana Rettke (M, University of Wisconsin, 6-8, 3, Riverside, Illinois, 1st Alliance Volleyball Club)
Jenna Rosenthal (M, Marquette University, 6-6, 1, Fond du Lac, Wisconsin, West Bend Volleyball Club)
Stephanie Samedy (OPP, University of Minnesota, 6-2, 3, Clermont, Florida, Top Select Volleyball Academy)
Molly Sauer (L, University of Louisville, 5-11, 1, Louisville, Kentucky, KIVA)

Head Coach: Chris Tamas (head coach, University of Illinois)
Assistant Coach: Joe Trinsey (USA Volleyball High Performance)
Assistant Coach: Natalie Morgan (assistant coach, Loyola Marymount University)
Technical Coordinator: Jessica Rae Aschenbrenner (director of operations, University of Denver)
Athletic Trainer: Margaret Marion (University of Illinois)
Head of Delegation: Erin Leaser

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (March 18, 2016) – USA Volleyball is proud to announce its 12-player roster for its U.S. Collegiate National Team (CNT-China) that will tour China.

The squad, which is part of USA Volleyball’s High Performance pipeline, will train and compete in a series of matches from June 18-July 1. After a short training period June 18-19 in Los Angeles, the team will be in Shanghai from June 21-23, followed by Nanjing from June 23-26 and Beijing June 26-July 1. The CNT-China squad will also be traveling in conjunction with the Pac-12 Conference All-Star Team.

Selected CNT-China setters are Katie Brand (Kansas State University, Grand Island, Nebraska) and Ainise Havili (University of Kansas, Fort Worth, Texas). Middle blockers chosen to the team are Kaz Brown (University of Kentucky, Waterloo, Iowa), Abby Cole (University of Michigan, Grand Haven, Michigan) and Jenna Rosenthal (Marquette University, Fond du Lac, Wisconsin).

Outside hitters named to the team are Madison Rigdon (University of Kansas, Pflugerville, Texas), Tia Scambray (University of Washington, Dana Point, California), Courtney Schwan (University of Washington, Auburn, Washington) and Alexa Smith (University of Colorado, Colorado Springs, Colorado). Opposites tabbed for the CNT-China team are Audriana Fitzmorris (Incoming Stanford University, Overland Park, Kansas) and Jordan Thompson (University of Cincinnati, Edina, Minnesota).Serving as liberos for the team is Morgan Heise (SMU, Hempstead, Texas).

The team’s coaching staff will be named later this spring.

The Pac 12 will have four representatives on the team with two players from Washington, along with one each from Colorado and Stanford. The Big 12 will have three players, including two Kansas teammates and one from Kansas State.

The CNT-China Tour roster has only two players (Cole and Brand) who will be seniors in college in the 2016 season, while one player has yet to play a single collegiate match (Fitzmorris). Cole was also on the CNT-China Tour last summer.

The CNT-Europe roster is expected to be released next week, while the CNT-GJNC program roster is expected to be announced by the end of the month.

Athletes were selected through the U.S. Women’s National Team Open Tryouts held Feb. 19-21 at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colo.

U.S. Collegiate National Team for 2016 Tour of China
Name (Position, School, 2016 College Year, Height, Hometown)
Katie Brand (S, Kansas State University, Sr., 6-1, Grand Island, Nebraska)
Kaz Brown (MB, University of Kentucky, Jr., 6-4, Waterloo, Iowa)
Abby Cole (MB, University of Michigan, Sr., 6-5, Grand Haven, Michigan)
Audriana Fitzmorris (OPP, Stanford University/St. James Academy [Lenexa, Kan.], Fr., 6-6, Overland Park, Kansas)
Ainise Havili (S, University of Kansas, Jr., 5-10, Fort Worth, Texas)
Morgan Heise (L, SMU, Jr., 5-6, Hempstead, Texas)
Madison Rigdon (OH, University of Kansas, So., 6-0, Pflugerville, Texas)
Jenna Rosenthal (MB, Marquette University, So., 6-6, Fond du Lac, Wisconsin)
Tia Scambray (OH, University of Washington, Jr., 6-0, Dana Point, California)
Courtney Schwan (OH, University of Washington, Jr., 6-1, Auburn, Washington)
Alexa Smith (OH, University of Colorado, So., 6-1, Colorado Springs, Colorado)
Jordan Thompson (OPP, University of Cincinnati, So., 6-4, Edina, Minnesota)